On Thursday, July 3, 2025, President Andrzej Duda made one of his last foreign visits as head of state. The most important point of the day wasprivate audience with Pope Leon XIVat the Vatican Apostolic Palace.
Historical meeting – meaning and background
This is the first official visit of Andrzej Duda to the Vatican since the election of Leon XIV as Pope in May 2025.. The meeting was private and the details of the conversation were not disclosed to the public. The event is unique enough to end the decade of intense relations between Duda and the Holy See and is his last such meeting as the President of the Republic of Poland.
Audience with Pope Leon XIV
Andrzej Duda was admitted to a private audience by Pope Leon XIV on Thursday morning.
The discussions were likely to address international, ethical and joint diplomatic issues, although official communications do not reveal details.
The President invited Pope Leon XIV to Poland and asked him to consider possible dates of visit.
Just after the audience, the president met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, who has played a key role in Vatican diplomacy for years..
Honor for John Paul II
Andrzej Duda laid flowers at the tomb of St John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica, which emphasizes the symbolic importance of this visit for Poles and the entire Catholic world.
Andrzej Duda's visit to the Vatican shows the importance of Poland's relations with the Catholic Church – both political and spiritual
